1. An Anglo-Saxon Crisis? By Daniel Gros
Conference “Challenges to the euro zone”,
Bank of Greece
Athens, May 27, 2009

2. “Challenges to EMU or The origins of national real estate bubbles in a monetary union”
This contribution concentrates on the key driving factor of intra EMU divergences connected with the current crisis:
National real estate bubbles.
Recurrent theme: house price boom leads to consumption boom and expansion of financial sector ….
But not necessarily to construction boom!

3. What kind of crises? From real estate bust to financial bust:
Sub-prime only tip of iceberg.
Real problem is combination of two factors:
Global real estate boom
Explosion of financial activity, a credit boom with most of the risk superficially outside banking system (via securitisation, credit default insurance, etc.).

4. An ‘Anglo-Saxon’ crises?
Real estate boom not only US, but global (with two exceptions, DE and J).
Securitisation on industrial scale: mainly an Anglo-Saxon phenomenon plus Spain
But …… expansion of financial sector comparable in Europe.
=> Not made in USA!

5. Not just a US Housing Boom

6. A Key Transatlantic Difference
In US most mortgages are ‘no recourse’: the borrower can just send the keys to the bank.
In Europe borrower remains liable for remainder should value of house be lower than mortgage: no ‘jingle mail’.
=> in US cost of house price bust is borne by financial system, not households.

7. Transatlantic Difference (?): Households Leverage
Households Liabilities/GDP
EUR US
1999
0.54
0.73
2008 (Q3)
0.68
1.02
Change
0.15
0.29

8. No problem with Corporate Leverage?
Business Corporate Liabilities/GDP
EUR US
1999
2.47
0.91
2008 (Q3)
0.90
Change
0.0
0.01

9. Not just a US Credit boom! (1)
Financial Sector Liabilities (Debt)/GDP
EUR US
1999
1.89
0.79
2008 (Q3)
2.54
1.17
Change
0.65
0.38 9

10. Not just a US Credit boom! (2)
Total Liabilities (Debt)/GDP
EUR US
1999
4.89
2.14
2008 (Q3)
5.69
2.94
Change
0.80

11. Transatlantic differences
Deleveraging problem in Europe as least as severe as in US. But …
more quickly apparent in US due to securitization (market based system).
In EU banks allowed to hide problems and no area wide institution to deal with consequences.
National rescue packages create widely different conditions including widespread attempts to use ’moral suasion’ on headquarter banks. 11

12. Divergences within EA more salient than transatlantic similarities
Large and sustained differences in prices and activity (construction):
Prices up like in the US almost everywhere, except in Germany.
Why not in DE? Unification boom (and bust after 1995): key asymmetry in starting condition!
Housing cycles can (have) lasted over a decade. 12

13. Divergences within EA (I)

14. Divergences within EA Ib (larger in nominal terms)14

15. Divergences within the EA (IIa): Construction booms (and busts)

16. Divergences within the EA (IIb): Construction boom (and bust)16

17. Consequences of National Housing Boom(s): Lasting Divergence
National housing booms lead to strong domestic demand and hence long cycles of divergence.
National housing cycles can (have) lasted over a decade (Germany, Japan).
Busts also?

18. Legacy of Housing Booms: Housing Overhang(s) in EA?
As % of GDP DE
Spain FR
Ireland
Italy
Construction
-19.1
30.2 -4
51.8
-5.5
Dwellings
-6.5
24.6
-8.6
44.3
-0.9

19. What Determines Diverging National Cycles?
Conventional view: Walters critique: high inflation means lower real interest rates which fuel domestic demand and hence drive up inflation => positive feedback loop.
=>Small difference in starting point magnified.
Also applies to housing booms?

20. What Determines National Housing Boom-Bust in a Monetary Union?
Reality does not confirm Walters critique:
France vs. Germany (same inflation but divergent house prices).
Spain vs. Germany consistent, but not Spain vs. France (similar house prices but different inflation).
Spain vs. Italy (similar real interest rates but no construction boom in Italy).

21. Divergences within Europe (I)
Differential w.r.t. Germany  
Average
HCPI
Inflation
Mortgage
Rates
Real House
Prices
(Growth rate)
France
0.2
-0.5
10.3
Spain
1.6
-1.1
10.4
Italy
0.7
-0.2
5.84

22. Divergences within Europe (II)
Differential w.r.t. Germany  
Average
CPI Inflation
Mortgage
Rates
Real House Price (growth rate)
Ireland
1.8
-0.8
10.5
Greece
1.6
0.8
7.7
Portugal
1.4
-0.3
2.3

23. Legacy of Housing+Credit Booms
Housing booms national, but financial (banking) system integrated at EA level:
National housing bust(s) lead to system wide banking weakness.
But systemic financial sector weakness has different national consequences.

24. EA not Homogeneous in terms of Growth of Leverage
Expansion of banking sector correlates well with house prices.
DE: highest starting level but little increase.
Italy: lowest starting level but big increase.
Spain: biggest increase, overtakes German level.

25. Differences within EA (I)

26. Differences within EA (II)

27. Concluding Remarks I
Within a monetary union national real estate markets can (they do not have to!) go on different trajectories.
Divergences difficult to explain except for DEU
What to do?
Intervene when prices/construction activity get out of hand.
Limit loan to value ratios for mortgages.
Auction off building permits.
Dynamic provisioning for banks (Spain!).

28. Concluding remarks II: Outlook
Without financial crisis: smooth adjustment with trends of first ten years in reverse (construction sector contracts in Spain, inflation higher in DE with slow reversal in current account (im)balances.
Financial crisis accelerates this process.
Can politics accept the inevitable? 28

29. Conclusion III: Outlook
Immediate impact of crisis similar everywhere. But this masks fundamental long term differences:
Germany affected by external demand, domestic demand largely stable.
Spain/Ireland, EU periphery opposite
France: in between 29

30. Thank you